Mafia & Gangsters of the 1920s

In the public eye, the 1920s gangster and bootlegger "above the law" lifestyle brought money, fame, nice clothes, women, cars, and homes. Along with the flashy suit, the twenties also gave us the best dressed and most famous gangster of all time: Al Capone. The 20's most famous gangsters were: "Scarface" Capone, "Lucky" Luciano, "Bugs" Moran (AKA Jack "Legs" Diamond), and "Dutch" Schultz.

The 1920s plays host to many other organized criminals with expensive suits and flashy names. And every famous gangster has a colorful name to go along with his fine suit. The Cassic Gangster fashion was as popular with men as the women who adore him. It's also been said that the gangster, as the American public sees him, is a creation of the mass media. Gangsters became feared and respected within their neighborhoods. The 1920s gangsters could earn a good living from the public like a strong-arming their neighborhoods for small but widespread price increases for groceries and services, then skimming their profits from the providers of these goods. The 1920s gangsters became the American icons of the self-made-man.

With the passage of prohibition in 1919, the twenties marked a huge shift in the way gangsters went about their everyday business. During this time the Gangsters would open up speakeasies or secret underground clubs were peolpe who drink can go to these speakeasies and drink, dance, and have a good time with their friends. Bootlegging became huge business for the most successful gangsters of the era. In conclusion, the Gangsters of the 1920s were the first ones to start the Mafia and to smuggle in illegal alcohol and drugs during the prohibition.